'I've wanted to make a series in Spain for a long time. I love Spanish food, I've been going there since I was a young boy - but until quite recently I don't think people really took the food seriously. Thanks to a handful of really dedicated Spanish chefs and a growing enthusiasm for its rugged flavours, that has all begun to change. To me the underlying point of journeying to Spain would be to discover the 'duende' in the cooking. By that I mean a sense of soul, of authenticity. The word is normally used in flamenco but I think it could be equally applied to the art of Spanish cooking because to my mind, in really good food, there is a communication between the cook and diner that amounts to art.' Rick Stein

In his beautifully designed and illustrated cookbook to accompany a major BBC2, 4-part series, Rick has selected over 140 recipes that capture the authentic taste of Spain today.

Spain is a country that tantalises every sense with its colourful sights, evocative music, vibrant traditions and bold cookery. Spanish cooking has a rich history, with flavours reflecting a broad range of cultural influences. Rick samples his way through the specialties and hidden treats of each region, taking in the changing landscape from the mountainous northern regions through the Spanish plains to Mediterranean beaches.

With over 100 Spanish recipes and location photographs, this is an essential cookbook for food-lovers as well as a stunning culinary guide to a diverse country.

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We hosted a large family large with an idea to base it around a paella and a spanish theme. To start we did the salted cod and orange partly because we couldn't imagine how the tastes went together and boy was it good. Same too was the mussels in the vinaigrette, ordinarily we'd have this warm with white wine and garlic, chilli's or cider and leek but the flavour was subtle and let the mussels shine.

The chick peas with chorizo was enjoyed so much that on a return for seconds, everyone else had devoured it.

For main we did the paella and reduced slightly the amount of saffron and managed to get a good crust on the bottom. The flavour was sensational. The only down side was we could (in Oz) only find arborio as the closest thing for a paella rice, even so though it was great.

The book is well structured and takes you around different regions in order and looking forward to trying more from it at a later date.

Would recommend this book and his tastes of the sea, a good 12 years on from the other book and we found a new recipe to do a few weeks ago.

Most helpful customer reviews on Amazon.com

Amazon.com:
4.1 out of 5 stars
12 reviews

J.J. Sefton

4.0 out of 5 starsWonderful book on regional Spanish cuisine

24 January 2013 - Published on Amazon.com

Verified Purchase

I thoroughly enjoyed the TV series because of the exploration of regions of the country heretofore underrepresented, some very enticing recipes and Mr. Stein's affable personality. This companion book so far has not disappointed. Though I've only cooked a few of the recipes, they were relatively easy to prepare, utilizing just a few ingredients and perhaps 1 or 2 pans at most. Most came out perfectly. Unfortunately, one dish, the garlic chicken, was a complete failure. Mr. Stein does not tell you to remove the garlic/oil marinade and as a result the garlic burned whilst browning the chicken. As someone who considers himself a pretty decent cook, I should have known better, and in fairness the book is probably geared towards someone like me who is already knowledgeable and comfortable in the kitchen. However a bit more detail in the directions would have been welcome and averted a mess. One other criticism is that the recipes are all in metric, but it's only a minor inconvenience to convert to English measurements. Overall, I found it beautifully written and designed and I am very much looking forward to trying more recipes from this really good book. Bravo, Rick Stein.

This is a really good cookbook from the fold of Rick Stein. Fond foodie memories from many visits to that vibrant country.Having bought the book previously for me and my husband - satisfactorily accomplishing to date, 75% of all its recipes,a lot of them cooked on the Isle of Wight, where fresh ingredients from the sea and land abound, I bought this copy for my chums in Minneapolis/St.Paul. They received it with equal relish.The vendor came up trumps - with delivery spot-on.

3.0 out of 5 starsI love Rick Steins cookery books but was a little disappointed ...

22 January 2015 - Published on Amazon.com

Verified Purchase

I love Rick Steins cookery books but was a little disappointed with his Spanish book,perhaps he didn't have as much to work with.Have found a few recipes that I will try, but nothing like his India book which I look at most days. Perhaps it will grow on me !!